Five stories that have North Texas talking: Take a look at Texas from a different vantage point; Dale Hansen’s Michael Sam commentary has been auto-tuned; local museums take part in the Google Art Project; and more.
Want to see Texas from up above? The Lone Star state is the star of the Smithsonian Channel’s “Aerial America,” which airs at 7 p.m. Sunday. The hourlong Texas-themed show kicks off a new season. In Dallas, the skyline and Dealey Plaza make appearances. So does the Alamo, Big Bend National Park, Guadalupe Mountains National Park, the Padre Island shoreline, and lots of other Texas scenes. Aerial America, which launched in 2008, has explored 43 of the 50 states from the air. “Shot from a helicopter armed with a state-of-the-art Cineflex V-14 HD camera system, each episode uses breathtaking aerial cinematography to reveal what makes each of the 50 United States unique - from beautiful natural landmarks, to sites of important turning points in history, to fascinating locations far off the beaten path,” Smithsonian says. And you don’t even have to wait until Sunday to watch it. Look at it right now (although it probably won’t look as nice as it does on your high-definition big screen):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VBAqQHIfUI&list=PLD62BC61D8D91E48A&feature=share&index=3
- Dale Hansen’s commentary on Michael Sam, the Missouri football player who’s gay, went viral, which has caught the attention of Piers Morgan, NPR, and others. Hansen, the longtime WFAA-TV sports anchor, appeared last week on the The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Now Hansen’s commentary has been auto-tuned. Watch it here:
- The Dallas Museum of Art, the Nasher Sculpture Center and the Amon Carter Museum of American Art announced this week that they’re adding more than 1,700 works of art to the Google Art Project. It allows online visitors to explore the museums’ paintings, sculptures and other pieces. Highlights from the 1,200 images submitted by the Amon Carter showcase work by Mary Cassatt, John Singer Sargent, and James McNeill Whistler. The DMA contributed more than 500 works of art, including Sheaves of Wheat by Vincent van Gogh and a gold Sicán ceremonial mask from Peru. The Nasher’s submissions include Auguste Rodin’s The Age of Bronze and Mark di Suvero’s Eviva Amore. A zoom viewer allows online visitors to get up close and personal with these pieces.
- U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz is being honored as the Statesman of the Year by a Florida Republican group. The Republican Party of Sarasota County honored the Texas senator last night. Cruz appeared at a few events in Florida last night. The group states: “A passionate fighter for liberty, economic growth, and the Constitution, Ted has seen first-hand the miracle of freedom and opportunity in America.” Tonight, Cruz is the keynote speaker at the Palm Beach County Republic Party’s Lincoln Day Dinner. Cruz led the effort to defund the Affordable Care Act, also called Obamacare. Las fall, he talked on the Senate floor for 21 hours – and even read “Green Eggs and Ham.”
- The South Dallas Cultural Center hosts the fifth annual Marlon Riggs Film Festival: Rights and Respectability that honors the late Fort Worth filmmaker and AIDS activist. A press release states: “Riggs is known for his cinematic work in expanding the depiction of and exploring myths about the black, gay community.” The festival runs at 9 p.m. today and 7 p.m. Saturday at the center, 3400 S. Fitzhugh Ave., Dallas. Each film will be followed by a question-and-answer period. The festival is free, but donations are accepted.
